title: Revisiting the innate preference for consonance.
abstract: The origin of the Western preference for consonance remains unresolved, with some suggesting that the preference is innate. In Experiments 1 and 2 of the present study, 6-month-old infants heard six different consonant/dissonant pairs of stimuli, including those tested in previous research. In contrast to the findings of others, infants in the present study failed to listen longer to consonant stimuli. After 3 minutes of exposure to consonant or dissonant stimuli in Experiment 3, 6-month-old infants listened longer to the familiar stimulus, whether consonant or dissonant. Our findings are inconsistent with innate preferences for consonant stimuli. Instead, the effect of short-term exposure is consistent with the view that familiarity underlies the origin of the Western preference for consonant intervals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plantinga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Trehub
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*